On the west coast of Africa nestled between the countries of Togo and Nigeria lies the country of Benin and the Pendjari national park. Any eco tourist or indeed animal lover should definitely take the time to visit this national park as it is home to a wonderful and rich variety of wildlife, many of which are endangered and may not be around forever.
At over 2500 square kilometres the park is some size and such it would definitely be a good idea to utilise the services of a guide who knows the park well. Some are more qualified than others and as such it is recommended that visitors to the park go to the official park website and contact one of the guides that the site recommends.
There is a wonderful variety of flora and fauna at the park with some of nature’s most impressive species of wild animals roaming freely. Elephant, hippopotamus and the Northwest African cheetah all call the park home. The welfare of the Cheetah is of utmost importance to conservationists for multiple reasons. Also known as the Saharan Cheetah, there is only an estimated 250 of these magnificent beast as full grown adults on the continent and as such seeing them will require the assistance of a guide.
It’s not all bad news from an eco-perspective though. Around 25% of the park has been designated protected and as such various work is undergoing to improve the park on an ongoing basis. The park is now known as a biosphere reserve and those that oversee the protection of the park take their responsibilities very seriously. Any green traveller planning a visit to the park should familiarise themselves with the park regulations before travelling and thus assist with the conservation of the park.